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Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש by Hiroaki Iwasa

Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש by Hiroaki Iwasa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 פרס הארד של A' Design Award in עיצוב אדריכלות, בנייה ומבנים Competition Category.


ארדאדריכלות· 2025

Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש

by Hiroaki Iwasa

Client: Hiroaki Iwasa Architects Workshop

פרס הארד של A' Design Award Winner in אדריכלות Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש

הפרויקט כלל שיקום של אולם קבלת הפנים בן 140 שנה, שהיה אחד מהמתקנים של המקדש הבודהיסטי קואונג'י. אולם קבלת הפנים הישן היה אהוב על הקהילה המקומית במשך שנים רבות; אולם, עקב הנזק החמור שנגרם לו עם השנים, נדרש לעבור שיקום. האדריכל פתר בעיות אלו באמצעות עדכון ויצירת הרמוניה, תוך פיתוח מערכות להעברת זיכרון הקהילה המקומית לדור הבא. כתוצאה מכך, אולם קבלת הפנים החדש השיג לא רק תחושת נוסטלגיה, אלא גם נוכחות בהקשר ההיסטורי.

The Recognition

About the פרס הארד של A' Design Award

העיצוב Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש זכה בפרס הארד של A' Design Award, הכרה יוקרתית מאוד הניתנת לעיצובים בולטים שמצטיינים ביצירתיות, בתושייה ובחוכמה. זוכי הארד הם חפצים מיומנים לרוב ויצירתיים באופן בולט שמעידים על הניסיון הרב, הדמיון והתבונה של מעצביהם. מהעיצוב Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש מצפים שיהיה חפץ מוערך מאוד, מוערץ ואהוב, מקצועי וחדשני בצורה בולטת. העיצוב הזה שזכה בפרס הארד של A' Design Award משלב את השיטות הטובות ביותר באמנות, במדע, בעיצוב ובטכנולוגיה, ומצוין בתשומת הלב שלו לפרטים. העיצוב Kouunji Kyakuden אולם קבלת פנים של מקדש מספק להפליא צרכים, נוגע ברצונות, מקסים רגשות ומושך סקרנות.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
This project was the reconstruction of the reception hall of a Buddhist temple passed 140 years. The old reception hall had been loved by the local community for long time, but it was beyond the scope of repair. Therefore architect took on various creative challenges. He aimed to solve these issues by updating it to modern functions, harmonizing it with other facilities, and devising some mechanisms to pass on the memory of local society to the next generation. As a result, this architecture was able to achieve not a sense of nostalgia but also a presence for the future.
Dimensions & Packaging
Specification,
Scale/ Wooden two-story building,
Structure/ Timber frame structure,
Site Area/ 3039.15 Square meter,
Building Area/ 277.26 Square meter,
Total Floor Area/ 323.77 Square meter,
Tags
temple, reception hall, reused, minimal philosophy, local landscape, passing on the memories, historical context, local community
Production Technology
This project had a clear floor plan with each function directly connected around the entrance hall, but there were many difficult construction tasks in some places. Ground reinforcement and strong foundation construction for soft ground, woodwork including special joints to structurally reuse old materials, fabrication of delicate and movable cedar lattices, and the revival of forgotten traditional natural paints "Kumezo". This project was realized through thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship.
Design Challenge
Various choices and challenges were made to pass on the memory of the local community. By choosing a common wooden house construction method rather than the traditional temple construction method, they were able to shorten the construction period, reduce construction costs, and as the result have time to repair and reuse old materials. The exterior has a roof shape unique to the region, and the walls and window lattices are finished with local cedar wood and with a revived traditional natural paint "Kumezo". As a result, this architecture achieved a special harmony and presence.
Research
Type of Research: About the relationship between Kouunji and the local area.
Methodology: History, landscape and topography research, annual event research, monk behavior research, and interviews with local residents,
Conclusion: Kouunji is the core of the local community that people have visited since childhood for events and daily life. The architect concluded that in addition to modernizing the function of the ceremony hall and harmonizing it with other facilities, it was essential to create a mechanism to pass on the memory of the local community to the next generation.
Inspiration
Researching the old reception hall and the landscape and history of the area provided architect with important inspiration. In particular, the old reception hall was tilted due to the soft ground, but it was discovered that some of the main structures, such as beams and columns, were valuable materials that are currently unavailable, and could be reused if repaired. And new architecture was important not only for its shape in the landscape, but also for its presence within the historical context.
Project Duration
The project started in February 2002 and was completed in November 2004 in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Operation Flow
Kouunji is an essential presence for the region.
Because the parishioners of Kouunji are local residents and their relatives, and annual events and celebrations and condolences are mainly held for the parishioners. The reception hall, located to the side of the main hall, functions in conjunction with the main hall during events, and is used for religious ceremonies, waiting areas, dinners using the kitchen function, and a meeting place. It also functions as an emergency temporary evacuation center in the event of a disaster. There is also a temple office that oversees them.
Image Credits
Photographer Kozo Takayama

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